Centering prayer is the path to a wonderful and radical new way of seeing the world. It is not, as is sometimes thought, simply an act of devotional piety, nor is it a Christianized form of other meditation methods. Cynthia Bourgeault here cuts through the misconceptions to show that centering prayer is in fact a pioneering development within the Christian contemplative tradition.

From infancy, Father Keating teaches, we accumulate emotional layers, or programs, as a result of traumatic experiences. The practice of Centering Prayer engages directly with the unconscious and loosens old traumas that hinder your spiritual development. This form of divine therapy draws from a contemplative method that has brought profound inner transformation into the lives of thousands of practitioners.

From infancy, Father Keating teaches, we accumulate emotional layers, or programs, as a result of traumatic experiences. The practice of Centering Prayer engages directly with the unconscious and loosens old traumas that hinder your spiritual development. This form of divine therapy draws from a contemplative method that has brought profound inner transformation into the lives of thousands of practitioners. The Contemplative Journey is Father Thomas Keating's great masterwork.

5 out of 5 stars

The Lord is Amazing

By
Bernard Remacle
on
12-03-16

The Cloud of Unknowing: With the Book of Privy Counsel

By:
Carmen Acevedo Butcher (translator)

Narrated by:
James Patrick Cronin

Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
140

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
120

Story

5 out of 5 stars
116

This anonymous fourteenth-century text is the glory of English mysticism, and one of the most practical and useful guides to finding union with God ever written. Carmen Acevedo Butcher’s new translation is the first to bring the text into a modern English idiom - while remaining strictly faithful to the meaning of the original Middle English. The Cloud of Unknowingconsists of a series of letters written by a monk to his student or disciple, instructing him (or her) in the way of Divine union.

5 out of 5 stars

Contemplation -> transformation

By
M. James
on
03-24-15

Healing Our Violence Through the Journey of Centering Prayer

By:
Richard Rohr O.F.M.,
Thomas Keating O.C.S.O.

Narrated by:
Richard Rohr O.F.M.,
Thomas Keating O.C.S.O.

Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
162

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
121

Story

5 out of 5 stars
116

Two internationally known spiritual guides explore integrating our inner and outer journeys. They challenge us to confront our inner and social violence and bring it to healing and transformation in a sacred and ecumenical context. Rohr and Keating each give insights on awakening to God's friendship, coming to know God and ourselves, growing in love through centering prayer, facing evil around us and our demons within us as well as opening our deep selves to divine therapy which heals our wounds.

5 out of 5 stars

Christian Spirituality for Adults

By
Mark
on
12-31-11

Centering Prayer Meditations

Effortless Contemplation to Deepen Your Experience of God

By:
David Frenette

Narrated by:
David Frenette

Length: 3 hrs and 25 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
59

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
50

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
50

This companion audio program - created to be equally rewarding as a stand-alone guide - gives listeners an immersive resource to learn contemplative prayer, step by step and in the moment. With clarity and compassionate presence, Frenette explains the essential principles of this contemplative practice for both new and seasoned practitioners, and then guides us experientially through core prayers and meditations.

5 out of 5 stars

Getting to know God on a deeper level and jouney

By
Chrizette
on
07-20-15

The Heart of Centering Prayer

Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice

By:
Cynthia Bourgeault

Narrated by:
Gabra Zackman

Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
65

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
57

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
56

Centering prayer is the path to a wonderful and radical new way of seeing the world. It is not, as is sometimes thought, simply an act of devotional piety, nor is it a Christianized form of other meditation methods. Cynthia Bourgeault here cuts through the misconceptions to show that centering prayer is in fact a pioneering development within the Christian contemplative tradition.

From infancy, Father Keating teaches, we accumulate emotional layers, or programs, as a result of traumatic experiences. The practice of Centering Prayer engages directly with the unconscious and loosens old traumas that hinder your spiritual development. This form of divine therapy draws from a contemplative method that has brought profound inner transformation into the lives of thousands of practitioners.

From infancy, Father Keating teaches, we accumulate emotional layers, or programs, as a result of traumatic experiences. The practice of Centering Prayer engages directly with the unconscious and loosens old traumas that hinder your spiritual development. This form of divine therapy draws from a contemplative method that has brought profound inner transformation into the lives of thousands of practitioners. The Contemplative Journey is Father Thomas Keating's great masterwork.

5 out of 5 stars

The Lord is Amazing

By
Bernard Remacle
on
12-03-16

The Cloud of Unknowing: With the Book of Privy Counsel

By:
Carmen Acevedo Butcher (translator)

Narrated by:
James Patrick Cronin

Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
140

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
120

Story

5 out of 5 stars
116

This anonymous fourteenth-century text is the glory of English mysticism, and one of the most practical and useful guides to finding union with God ever written. Carmen Acevedo Butcher’s new translation is the first to bring the text into a modern English idiom - while remaining strictly faithful to the meaning of the original Middle English. The Cloud of Unknowingconsists of a series of letters written by a monk to his student or disciple, instructing him (or her) in the way of Divine union.

5 out of 5 stars

Contemplation -> transformation

By
M. James
on
03-24-15

Healing Our Violence Through the Journey of Centering Prayer

By:
Richard Rohr O.F.M.,
Thomas Keating O.C.S.O.

Narrated by:
Richard Rohr O.F.M.,
Thomas Keating O.C.S.O.

Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
162

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
121

Story

5 out of 5 stars
116

Two internationally known spiritual guides explore integrating our inner and outer journeys. They challenge us to confront our inner and social violence and bring it to healing and transformation in a sacred and ecumenical context. Rohr and Keating each give insights on awakening to God's friendship, coming to know God and ourselves, growing in love through centering prayer, facing evil around us and our demons within us as well as opening our deep selves to divine therapy which heals our wounds.

5 out of 5 stars

Christian Spirituality for Adults

By
Mark
on
12-31-11

Centering Prayer Meditations

Effortless Contemplation to Deepen Your Experience of God

By:
David Frenette

Narrated by:
David Frenette

Length: 3 hrs and 25 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
59

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
50

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
50

This companion audio program - created to be equally rewarding as a stand-alone guide - gives listeners an immersive resource to learn contemplative prayer, step by step and in the moment. With clarity and compassionate presence, Frenette explains the essential principles of this contemplative practice for both new and seasoned practitioners, and then guides us experientially through core prayers and meditations.

5 out of 5 stars

Getting to know God on a deeper level and jouney

By
Chrizette
on
07-20-15

Christian Meditation

Entering the Mind of Christ

By:
James Finley

Narrated by:
James Finley

Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
45

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
40

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
40

In 1967 Thomas Merton traveled to Thailand, seeking to further the Buddhist-Christian dialogue that was his passion. This beloved Trappist monk and explorer of the inner life died unexpectedly on that trip but not before writing a final letter to his brothers at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. In the letter Merton wrote that he now realized that everything he had been searching for could be found at his own hermitage, within the Christian tradition.

5 out of 5 stars

Wow just wow

By
Holly
on
05-15-16

New Seeds of Contemplation

By:
Thomas Merton

Narrated by:
Jonathan Montaldo,
Sharon Cross

Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
236

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
204

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
204

New Seeds of Comtemplation is one of Thomas Merton's most widely read and best loved books. Christians and non-Christians alike have joined in praising it as a notable successor in the meditative tradition of St. John of the Cross, the Cloud of Unknowing, and the medieval mystics, while others have compared Merton's reflections to those of Thoreau.

5 out of 5 stars

Pure holy inspiration!!!

By
Jaime
on
03-11-15

Contemplative Prayer

Traditional Christian Meditations for Opening to Divine Union

By:
Thomas Keating

Narrated by:
Thomas Keating

Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
130

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
65

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
63

"The Cloud of Unknowing" is one of Christianity's enduring mysteries, a meditative state where God is experienced on the deepest interior level. To move beyond thoughts and feelings and into the arms of the divine spirit, we have been given the gift of contemplative prayer.

5 out of 5 stars

A new world of prayer

By
Perennial Essentials
on
08-16-08

Interior Castle

By:
Teresa of Avila

Narrated by:
Susan Denaker

Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
248

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
193

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
194

Teresa of Avila's
Interior Castle is one of the most celebrated books ever written by a mystic on abiding in union with Christ. Writing in obedience to the requests of two of her superiors, the humble 16th century Spanish sister protests "...for the love of God, let me get on with my spinning and go to choir...like the other sisters...I am not meant for writing; I have neither the health nor the wits for it."

4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful, Truthful and Warm

By
Angela
on
08-27-11

Thomas Merton’s Path to the Palace of Nowhere

By:
James Finley

Narrated by:
James Finley

Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
104

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
94

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
92

First presented at a series of popular retreats, this full audio program takes a participatory approach to Merton's most useful teachings, helping us to discover our true self...to disappear into God; to be submerged into his peace; to be lost in the secret of his face, as Merton said, through daily practices including contemplation, prayer, and faith. In the end we find ourselves in what the Taoist sage Chuang Tzu called the Palace of Nowhere, where all the many things are one.

5 out of 5 stars

Deserves a slow, attentive listen

By
Sarah Bensen
on
03-01-16

Into the Silent Land

A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation

By:
Martin Laird

Narrated by:
Erin Bennett

Length: 5 hrs and 1 min

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
73

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
67

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
67

Sitting in stillness, the practice of meditation, and the cultivation of awareness are commonly thought to be the preserves of Hindus and Buddhists. Martin Laird shows that the Christian tradition of contemplation has its own refined teachings on using a prayer word to focus the mind, working with the breath to cultivate stillness, and the practice of inner vigilance or awareness.

5 out of 5 stars

An extraordinary gift

By
Die Falknerin
on
03-24-17

Contemplative Prayer

By:
Thomas Merton

Narrated by:
Jonathan Montaldo

Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
90

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
59

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
54

This is Merton at his best, applying ancient wisdom to the longings of our age through thoughtful commentary on Scripture and writers of the Western spiritual tradition. This book distills Merton's own reading and long experience with contemplation.

5 out of 5 stars

Another beauty by one of my favorite authors

By
L. Wilson
on
08-10-12

True Self, False Self

By:
Richard Rohr O.F.M.

Narrated by:
Richard Rohr O.F.M.

Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins

Original Recording

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
511

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
420

Story

5 out of 5 stars
404

Franciscan priest Richard Rohr feels that there is no more challenging spiritual issue than the “problem of the self". Most of contemporary spiritual teaching, he believes, is still trying to inspire and fortify the private self, the autonomous "I". Even much church work is trying to evangelize and sacramentalize what many would call "the false self." Basic transformation is not expected, but merely a new set of beliefs and practices or loyal membership in a new group.

5 out of 5 stars

Eye-opening, beneficial

By
Steve Lee, Sr.
on
04-07-11

Meister Eckhart's Living Wisdom

Indestructible Joy and the Path of Letting Go

By:
James Finley

Narrated by:
James Finley

Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
70

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
59

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
58

The 13th-century mystic Meister Eckhart was the most brilliant Christian scholar of his day, but he was also legendary for the way that he opened listeners to the direct experience of God during his public talks. Today, his written wisdom remains alive as ever, ready to illuminate us. With
Meister Eckhart's Living Wisdom, James Finley, one of today's best-known teachers of the Christian contemplative tradition, invites us into Eckhart's insights in the same way that this luminary teacher delighted in sharing them.

5 out of 5 stars

Love all of James Finley's works!

By
Lynn Smith
on
09-20-17

Eager to Love

The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi

By:
Richard Rohr

Narrated by:
John Quigley O.F.M.

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
152

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
125

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
125

Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved of all saints. Both traditional and entirely revolutionary, he was a paradox. He was at once down-to-earth and reaching toward heaven, grounded in the rich history of the Church while moving toward a new understanding of the world beyond. Franciscan Father Richard Rohr helps us look beyond the birdbath image of the saint to remind us of the long tradition founded on Francis' revolutionary, radical, and life-changing embrace of the teachings of Jesus.

4 out of 5 stars

Richard Rohr Should Read Richard Rohr

By
Cloud Captain
on
10-18-14

The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality

By:
Carl McColman

Narrated by:
Brian Smith

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
68

Performance

3.5 out of 5 stars
65

Story

4 out of 5 stars
62

In popular usage, mysticism typically refers to New Age or Eastern forms of spirituality. However, the mystical tradition is also an important component of the Christian tradition. At its heart--and much like its expression in other faith traditions--Christian mysticism is an ancient practice that incorporates meditation, contemplation, worship, philosophy, the quest for personal enlightenment, and the experience of Divine presence.

4 out of 5 stars

Setting the record straight

By
MJ
on
07-28-13

Contemplative Prayer

Meditation in the Christian Tradition

By:
James Finley

Narrated by:
James Finley

Length: 25 mins

Original Recording

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
19

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
19

Story

5 out of 5 stars
18

Since the time of the Desert Fathers in the third century, Christian mystics have practiced meditation as a way of opening to the presence of God in daily life. James Finley, a friend of Thomas Merton and his fellow monk for six years at the Abbey of Gethsemani, introduces us to this direct, mystical form of prayer, an enduring path of communion with the divine that reflects the spirit of Christ's own desert sojourns.

5 out of 5 stars

Overall good intro to contemplative prayer

By
Jodee B. Brown
on
11-23-16

Publisher's Summary

Centering Prayer is a practical guide to the interior experience of being in God's presence. It offers Christians an approach that brings together Eastern traditions of the early Church and the spirituality of the world today. Fr. Pennington offers guidance on how to pray, meditate, and overcome personal obstacles to prayer.

Best Centering Prayer Information available

This book has filled so much open space in my knowledge of Centering Prayer. Having met Father Keating in 1987 and having read his fascinating informative and inspiring books as well as practiced Centering Prayer ever since. This new look at the topic is like fresh air in its different approach! It is written so lovingly and with such depth of understanding and background on this source of Contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition, I feel nourished by all the hitherto unknown information. The exact method is discribed for beginners and those familiar to this ancient prayer form.I have recommended this reading [ and now the hard copy book ] to my entire group of friends both Christian and non Christian.There are really no words for the spiritual value of Basil Pennington's work.Thank you for this opportunity

A beneficial once over

Some very informative topics brought to my attention. Thankful to be able to add them to my memory bank, and will be putting them in to practice. Some of the information brought forth was, I feel, just the same ancient old practices expressed & passed on to fit a different culture, religion & the guidelines there of. Good for both the beginner & well practiced alike. However, being one that consumes a lot of like material & holds on to what would be in my opinion, great reads, this one I would find easy to pass along. Good for a once over tho. I would say 3.5 stars overall.